| Sidney Dombroff | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1922 Brooklyn. Parents From Russia, Poland |
| Died | 2012 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32863592 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 29 (13 April – 12 June 1945) |
| Section | 7C |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Specialty | Russian-language military intelligence |
| Unit / division | Camp Ritchie Russian section |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Sidney Dombroff was a U.S. Army staff sergeant who trained in the Russian-language section at Camp Ritchie late in the Second World War. His memoir preserves a detailed enlisted man's view of the camp's field exercises and intelligence curriculum.
Biography
In September 1943, he attended Student at Yale University (ASTP). On 12 June 1945, he graduated from Class 2 (Russian) at Indiana University. He Graduated Brooklyn College (AB Chemistry). Sidney Dombroff entered the Camp Ritchie story after military service and training in Texas. Holding the rank of staff sergeant, he traveled from Texas to Baltimore and then into the mountains of western Maryland. At Camp Ritchie, Dombroff was assigned to the Russian-language section. Language ability was treated as an operational skill rather than an academic exercise. The landscape itself became part of the course, teaching trainees to gather and communicate information while tired, uncertain, and away from fixed landmarks. Other exercises began with students placed in sealed trucks so they could not see where they were being taken. Released at night, they faced practical problems designed to reproduce the confusion of intelligence work in the field. Germany surrendered while Dombroff's group was still preparing for further service. V-E Day changed the immediate purpose of the European-oriented training but did not end the Army's plans for the men. Dombroff and others were sent to the Midwest for additional schooling, carrying forward the language and intelligence preparation they had received at Camp Ritchie.
Research notes
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 90 |
| Nara ASN | 32863592 |
| Nara Name | DOMBROFF SIDNEY |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 47 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 150343 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | NO |
| Nara Branch Code | 2 |
| Branch | No branch assignment |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 5 |
| Term of enlistment | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| Defer. Date | 0 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | 23 |
| Nativity.1 | NEW YORK |
| Nara Year of Birth | 22 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 8 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 7 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 34 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 143 |
| Class_ASN | 32863592 |
| Class_Name | DOLBROFF, Sidney |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_compatible |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 1/1945 Engineer (Sgt) with 1480th Engineer Maintenance Company.
- 2.
- 29.
- Assigned to Class 29 (Russian).
- Brooklyn. Parents from Russia, Poland.
Sources
- Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
- Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
- NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- The Stories essay
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Sidney Dombroff for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Dombroff, Sidney for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: SIDNEY DOMBROFF.doc)